Current communication systems often have messaging options, such as voice-mail capability. However, a problem exists when the calling party receives a no-answer situation. In the normal (non-incarceration) situation the call would rollover to a voicemail application. When the user is an incarcerated person, or when the user is calling an incarcerated person, payment for the call is often an issue. While a calling party may be willing to pay to talk to a person in real time, that same person may not wish to pay to leave a message. In some situations, billing for calls to and from incarcerated persons is handled through a LEC billing system and in other situations the billing is pre-paid. In some situations the calling party, depending upon pre-established credit, is post billed for calls on a bulk (weekly, monthly) basis.
In developing the present invention it was discovered that, when the call is terminated at a messaging service, instead of being completed in real-time, different payment options may be desirable and thus completion of such calls are problematic when the calling (or called) party is to be charged for leaving a message or for having other services performed.
In addition, it would be desirable to allow communication systems, particularly electronic messaging systems, involving incarcerated facilities to have access to auxiliary services, such as message printing, binding, paper selection, hand delivery, etc. Payment difficulties, as well as monitoring of messages, time or frequency limits for messages and the like prevent such systems from being deployed presently.